• Vitamin B12: Individuals who avoid all animal products must ensure their diets include a reliable food source of vitamin B12 because it is only available from animal products. Fortified foods like soy milk, nutritional yeast, meat analogues and cereal contain adequate B12. If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can obtain enough B12 from eggs, cheese, milk or yogurt. Consult your physician before taking a vitamin B12 supplement.

Vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian diets are healthful choices for athletes. To maximize performance and recovery, it’s recommended that you enhance your intake of beans, leafy greens, seeds, nuts, whole grains and other colorful plant sources. This intake will not only ensure consumption of protein adequacy but also vitamin and mineral density.

Linda Copp is a registered dietitian in private practice and an instructor of nutrition at San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene University.